Guthrie's Corning Hospital Board announces plans for a new hospital

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Guthrie's Corning Hospital Board announces plans for a new hospital

The Board of Directors of Guthrie's Corning Hospital has developed a plan to better serve the Greater Corning community, support local patients, and improve the services and systems vital to helping physicians and clinical staff deliver 21st century care in the Corning region. To that end, the Board has voted unanimously to begin planning and preparation for construction of a new hospital and campus in the Town of Corning.

"Meeting the needs of today's patients and preparing for a bright future as an integral part of the Corning region requires that we continue to invest and innovate," said Corning Hospital Board Chairman David Iocco. "A new state-of-the-art hospital is essential to efficiently provide the highest quality care while meeting the changing needs and expectations of our patients, our physicians, our employees and the community."

The new Guthrie's Corning Hospital and medical campus will better serve the region on many levels through:

A state-of-the-art facility that allows for technology needs and reflects the recognized quality of care that patients expect from Corning Hospital

Enhanced patient privacy with the comfort of private rooms for hospital stays

Improved patient convenience with more space for parking and patient drop-off. The shift from primarily in-patient to out-patient services necessitates this change

Plans for the new hospital are in development and the Board vote authorized funds to secure a potential site located in the Town of Corning at Exit 48.

"Our process to identify the new site was very comprehensive. It began more than five years ago, included an exhaustive analysis by nationally-recognized health care consultants and resulted in two unanimous votes by our Board of Directors," said Philip Roche, Esq., Vice Chair of the Corning Hospital Board.

The Corning Hospital Board and staff considered more than sixteen sites within the City of Corning and surrounding area. A major consideration was the size of sites available because thirty acres are required to construct a medical campus that will meet the needs of our community for the next fifty years. The research done on this specific site suggests that it is very convenient for patients that already use the Corning Hospital for their care. "Our research showed that, because of the proposed site's ready access to the Interstate 86, on average, the new site would actually reduce the travel time for most of the patients who use Corning Hospital today. This is especially valuable for ambulances and patients responding to an acute problem," said Shirley Magana, the Hospital's President and Chief Operating Officer.

"The trend from inpatient to same-day services has changed medical care delivery tremendously. Our current Hospital, serving the Corning area for nearly 111 years, is outdated and inefficient in its ability to adapt to that shift," added Russell Woglom MD, Corning Hospital Internist and Regional Group Leader for Guthrie Clinic. "Our current location is landlocked, has no room for expansion. Our physical plant limits our ability to integrate services and lacks the energy and work flow efficiencies we need to operate successfully."

Dr. Woglom described other guiding principles for the site selection to include, "a focus on patient-centered care, greater efficiency in the physical plant and in the delivery of state-of-the-art services, the ability to integrate services and adapt to spatial needs of new and future technology, enhanced focus on service and safety for patients, staff and community visitors, and improved patient accessibility, convenience and visibility from a major highway. This new campus will also help us attract and retain the best and brightest physicians for our community."

Jack Benjamin, President of Three Rivers Development Corporation and a member of the Corning Hospital Board, said "Denison Parkway has long been a major source of economic activity for Corning. Redevelopment of the existing hospital site will continue the focus on the vitality of Denison Parkway while building a new state-of-the-art medical campus just a few miles away. The redevelopment of the four acre environmentally clean site adjacent to the central business district is a tremendous asset for the City that can be offered to developers. There will be a demand for such an attractive location."

The Board of Directors of Corning Hospital resolved to continue offering primary care services in the City of Corning. Last year, Guthrie Clinic physicians provided more than 232,000 patient visits at their four Corning office locations. The Corning Hospital Board will be evaluating future uses of the current hospital location through discussions with community residents, leaders and elected officials to encourage the best use for the site and the City.